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...But seriously. Haruka scene at the beginning is really good. I think I'm in love with her (and her voice)....

The voice of Haruka is 28-year-old Masu Nozomi, who was Ginko in Kurenai. I loved that voice and character, too.

The show is complex and interesting, so far.

Spoiler for ep2:

Why was Yuki crying? was she just happy with the song Ogata Eiji was giving her? And why did Rina ask her if she was okay when she left the cafe? Just because she had been crying earlier? Or is there more to find out about the plot, as there appears to be much more to find out about the characters? Everyone seems to have hidden aspects. Even Yuki?

@MercFH -- The story is of a girl (Yuki) who is just making her debut as an idol soon after graduating from highschool and starting college. Will becoming an idol interfere with her relationship with her boyfriend? Will the top idol Ogata Rina be a help to her, a rival, or both? What will her boyfriend's relations be with the other two interesting girls he knows, the upperclassman and the younger tomboy? I'm enjoying it so far.

Why was Yuki crying? was she just happy with the song Ogata Eiji was giving her? And why did Rina ask her if she was okay when she left the cafe? Just because she had been crying earlier? Or is there more to find out about the plot, as there appears to be much more to find out about the characters? Everyone seems to have hidden aspects. Even Yuki?

This is why I love the show so much. The first ep was a bit gloomy for my taste, but in this second episode we finally get to see the characters sparkle, with Rina as a glittering diamond.

Spoiler:

Why indeed! Like True Tears, this is a show where I'll rewatch scenes over and over to really soak up the atmosphere, then dream myself into the character's mind to try to figure out their actions:

The light explanation is that she's been dreaming of becoming an idol for a long time, and here's a song tailor-made just for her, and oh dear it's so lovely!

The dark explanation is that she's suddenly left alone with the boss, in his big empty mansion with a staircase leading into the unknown. Not to judge the pop industry, but it's not entirely impossible that she was expecting to be "seduced", and the tears are her relief at simply being introduced to a new song.

Regarding the "are you sure?" from Rina, I interpreted it as "shouldn't you at least hug the guy? You rarely ever meet each other nowadays", whereupon Yuki simply waves in a "we're still retarded school children" fashion. And then, it seems, Rina makes her move.

There are so many ambiguous scenes in this show, and I'm completely spellbound by it. Music's wonderful, art is wonderful (particularly the slice of crayon animation where Rina sticks out her tongue!), and the voice acting is exquisite (Rina's "ii no?", Misaki's "ryoukai" ending the phone call). Need ep 03!

Seems like the story is falling right into place here as I was able to get more sense of what was going no even without the subs this time round

Yuki really is walking a very thin line here if he carries on with being so obnoxious towards Touya...I know because a dude can only last so long of being "neglected" and from the looks of it (with Yuki leaving the shop without even a goodbye kiss to Touya) her dullness is going to cost her later.

Not that it matters much since I am already rooting for Rina to put Yuki in her place.

I also have to applaud her for sneaky getting his number...mmm...I can smell the delicious drama already unfolding

As for Haruka...she is still nuts in the head so count her out
Well, maybe good for being his little sister...

Now on to episode two. If I wasn't sold by the first episode, this definitely seals the deal. Although Haruka still seems out-of-place (a la 4-D), I'm enjoying most of the other characters. Especially our lead. He seems to be polite and is likable to most other girls, rather than being a harem lead just for the sake of it.

Spoiler for Episode Two:

For example, after the phone conversation, I can actually see Misaki falling for our lead. Rina was a bit unexpected, but the way she approached was... rather idol-like, but very dashing

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Currently Watching:Is the Order a Rabbit?, No Game No Life, Precure Series

I'm already willing to give this show a big thumbs-up and a full recommendation as early as episode 2 (something fairly rare, I usually tend to wait at least 2-3 eps longer). I already thought that ep1 had potential and that it seemed to be going in the right direction, but I'm absolutely convinced that we have a winner here after episode 2.

In a nutshell, we have a serious romance drama of a couple of young people who are just stepping into life. Touya and Yuki are an established couple that is gradually shifting apart - Touya as slacking university student and Yuki as busy Idol-in-the-making. Yuki's energetic best friend Rina already is a prominent idol and already seems bound to become a major rival to her in terms of romance (she set her eyes on Touya), and soon probably in terms of stardom. A selection of friends connected by a fairly detailed web of relationships round out the cast.

What are the major selling points I see?

1) Complex, and sometimes complicated story. You need to use your brain and stay awake. Many bits of relevant information are hidden throughout the episodes, and you need to be on your toes to catch them. Compared to the normal standard of "even the trivial stuff is explicitly spelled out 3 times so that even the biggest dork understands", this is a refreshing change of pace in my eyes. And as a fansub encoder who has to watch each episode 3 times on average (which can become a real chore sometimes, think AkaneIro), it's also enjoyable that you can still find new details on the 3rd rewatch.

2) Mature characters with mature issues. Yes, they're not yet adults, but at least we're finally out of the happy-go-lucky high school student bubble.

3) Excellent use of in-frame "thoughts". Especially beginning in episode 2, you aren't just shown the dialogue between characters, but often enough their _thoughts_ while conversing. And these thoughts often enough are entirely different and add alot of extra depth. In other anime, this tends to be done by "thoughtspeech" interrupting the flow. Here it's like you get a second line of information directly. I like this approach VERY much.

4) Good atmosphere. Both the visuals and the presentation manage to convey a feeling of wistful melancholy very well.

5) Reversed flow. Instead of suffering through alot of awkward "main characters clumsily and gradually try to get together" early on, we're starting with a steady couple and rather see it shifting apart with Yuki not noticing and Touya unable to express it well. And with a wide selection of other girls showing general interest in Touya (Rina, Haruka, Misaki), this is going to bode well for the drama aspect.

In a nutshell, if you don't like drama in the likes of KimiNozo, School Days or True Tears, stay away. But if you do, DEFINITELY give this show a whirl. You'd miss out otherwise. I'm 95% confident that this is going to become a winner.

Example of a scene handled very well from ep2:

Spoiler:

The awkward and childish way Yuki waved goodbye to Touya. Even Rina was flabbergasted (and obviously took this demonstration as a go-ahead). Touya unhappy and embarrassed, but going along with the waving without expressing his concerns. Yuki oblivious to her boyfriend's worries. And Rina tickled by Touya's interest in her, obviously deciding to give him a closer look now that she's unattached again (this detail was woven into the story well, too).

Looking forward to ep3 alot! (Which will probably be delayed a bit because 3 Eclipse members will attend the Uppcon meeting - see Fansubber board).

Why was Yuki crying? was she just happy with the song Ogata Eiji was giving her? And why did Rina ask her if she was okay when she left the cafe? Just because she had been crying earlier? Or is there more to find out about the plot, as there appears to be much more to find out about the characters? Everyone seems to have hidden aspects. Even Yuki?

I think it's like this:

Spoiler:

Yes, earlier on, Yuki was intimidated on visiting Eiji (see her shifting eyes when she entered), but I believe that she's really just overjoyed about the song. The way I see it, it was her great dream to be singing like Rina, and now she's going to do just that with a song tailormade for her. At least, she said that she was happy herself - and I'm inclined to believe her.

Why Rina asked if it (not she) was alright - I think it's obvious that she was referring to the fact that Yuki had already halfway turned around and was going to leave without really saying goodbye to Touya. Remember the scene from episode 1? Turning around at the last moment and waving seems to be Yuki's normal way to part - it seems that she doesn't even RECOGNIZE that Touya might be hoping/wishing for something more meaningful. Rina immediately recognized that, and I believe she grabbed Rina's sleeve to indicate to her "hey, don't skip on the goodbye just because I'm around". And the fact that Yuki still didn't react will be seen as a sign that their relationship can't be all that deep (she didn't even know for sure that Yuki had a BF at all the day before).

Hidden agenda - maybe, probably, but the reactions here seemed to be rooted in what we already saw. Yuki is currently absorbed in her own world, and she sees Touya as a given, without a shred of doubt about their relationship. She DOES call him on her own, but she doesn't recognize his worries at all - and he's to blame about it too, since he sucks at communicating it. At the end of the episode, she's smiling at the telephone in her apartment (remember ep1? Where Akira mentioned that not having a phone installed in Yuki's apartment might be Yuki's employer's attempt to separate them? So the phone was probably just newly installed), and I'm almost willing to bet that she's going to call Touya - who happens to be talking to Rina at the moment.

"Hey, I tried calling you, but your line was busy - who was it?" is going to be an innocent landmine question in ep3, wanna bet?

The thought that kept running through my head for most of the ep was, "oh no!" for obvious reasons. I greatly enjoyed this ep, moreso than the first one. We get to see a lot more each character's personality.

Like Yuki is maybe overly sensitive and perhaps takes Touya for granted. I clearly see she's trying to make the relationship work, but i don't think she sees how much Touya is putting in on his side and the pain he feels from her not being around.

The scene with Haruka really hit something deep down, just because it was so innocent and sweet. Its somewhat of a rarity in shows I've recently watched. I'd have to liken it to True Tears, because its the other down to earth love story that was amazing in recent times.

Misaki hasn't been developed much yet, but i can't help but think that the illness is more than a flu? At the same time, Akira kind of makes me sad because everyone knows he's trying hard for her, but his self-confidence isn't there. The part with the cheesecake shows that he supports Touya and perhaps puts his friend above himself.

And finally Rina. What is there to say about her... She was great this ep. She has the idol side where she's commanding and very Sheryl like, but then like Sheryl, she also has that softer, more sensitive side which she showed fully when talking to Touya. I loved the way she came on to Touya. delicate, yet obvious. She knows what she's getting in to, because she's well aware that he's Yuki's boyfriend...

The ending of the ep resounded quite loudly with me. Touya's rejection of his dad, Yuki's (probable) attempt to call him, and finally Rina's success at it. I think Yuki missed him, then Rina called later and got him. And because of that unfortunate event, this show will be AMAZING and gut wrenching for the other 11 eps in it. "And so it begins.."

I'm suspecting she is happy with Touya, but concentrating on her career -- to the point of happy tears at getting a song from Tsunku (oops, I mean Eiji) -- and taking Touya for granted in a way that he interprets as indifference, which it isn't. But does she love him enough to make staying together the right thing to do, anyway?

I'm still waiting to understand her, so I can judge if the voice Hirano is using is the right one. Is she that vulnerable? The tears say she is.

Come to think of it, Rina's character isn't all that clear yet, either. Three cheers for ambiguity.

I am now committed enough to this show to have made a characters & seiyuus page, with pics of each main character and their voice actor.

I'm suspecting she is happy with Touya, but concentrating on her career -- to the point of happy tears at getting a song from Tsunku (oops, I mean Eiji) -- and taking Touya for granted in a way that he interprets as indifference, which it isn't. But does she love him enough to make staying together the right thing to do, anyway?

I'm still waiting to understand her, so I can judge if the voice Hirano is using is the right one. Is she that vulnerable? The tears say she is.

Hmm...

Spoiler:

Somehow I feel that I got a grasp of her pretty well. She's a pretty sensitive girl - kind disposition and positive, and certainly not stupid. She clearly cares for Touya, as indicated by the times she's trying to call him on her own initiative. But she's oblivious to the problems Touya is facing, his fear of losing her. And his unability to communicate this fear is probably going to be the undoing of their relationship - because she will possibly only find out when it's too late and the damage is done. Also, she is very pure to the degree of naivete. Rina knows immediately that Touya is looking for a more meaningful goodbye, so she even ASKS Yuki. She doesn't get it at all. Of course it's fine. They're together, all is good *wavie wavie*.

Unless she gets a clue soon, Yuki will be waking up to a nasty surprise. And THEN we'll see her true colors, when she's forced to react.

I just love the fact that scenes where nothing happens, and the scenes where something does are just as good as each other. Also the technique that uses the ED animation for the close up shots are so beautiful. Very 80s.

Really beautiful series, and I love what I am seeing thus far. I think the comparisons to true tears are fair in terms of tension and atmosphere, just may be turned down a little in terms of intensity (up to this point). I felt like I was watching something with potential after ep1 but not I am pretty certain that I will watch this until the end.

Spoiler for ep2:

Very interested to see how the Rina situation develops because at this point they could really go in ANY direction. At this point I am having a difficult time imagining even what direction I want them to take it in. I think I need to know a bit more about the characters first (particularly rina and her motives).

I think it is obvious that misaki and haruka will only play character development roles for the protagonist as well as development of his bromance

i) Rina's "flaws", if that word can be used at the moment. She gives me the feeling that she knows what she wants and she is accustomed to getting what she wants. The room was an example. Even asking her brother to drive her cause her own manager was late could be an example too. Coupled with Yuki's "insensitivities" I picked up in Ep 1, I think it makes for an interesting development in their triangle with Touya.

Haven't really felt any flaws from the rest of the cast, namely, Haruka and Misaki. If the show does show their flaws, again, I think we'll be in for one hell of a ride.

ii) I rather liked the "thoughts" appearing on screen. It's effective in showing Touya's thoughts even when he's speaking to others. In other shows, maybe we'll see characters' thoughts voiced out internally but that is not possible when he is in the midst of a conversation.

I kinda expected insert songs or whatsoever, but maybe it's too early. I'm in this half for the story, half for the songs. How long is this series anyway? If it's 12/13, I wonder if there's enough time for development.

well episode 2 was interesting yet complex. Yuki said she was happy thats why she was crying but an explanation was never given. Rina asked her if she was ok but after that no more explanation was given i can only assume that it will be explained later. Yuki seems to be a very sensitive girl and its obvious that she does care for Touya but not knowing what problems hes going too and their inability to communicate with each i can see problems in the future.

Haruka is an interesting character yet she seems complex im not sure what her motivations are for anything. The scene where she randomly shows up at Touya's door and says to lets go for a walk was out of the blue. I also did not understand Touya's suddenly saying no and closing the door in her face only to check back later. There relationship seems very complex. Im anticipating more background into Haruka' personality and what drives her.

Misaki its just a given for me at this point that she has either fallen or will fall for Touya. Her happy expression just from a simple phone call showed her emotions on her sleeve. Even with her being sick she didnt want to get off the phone another land mine waiting to happen.

Rina who's outgoing personality appeals to me so far is becoming my favorite character even not knowing much about her. She accustom to getting her way and when she wants something shes like a bull charging. Her and Yuki disguises were hilarious neither of them could breath LOL. Now i was very VERY surprised that she asked for Touya's number only after about 6 min of chatting with him and only after Yuki had left. Does she find Touya that interesting? does she find him attractive? is he just a toy? I can see where the drama is going to come into play here. The looks shes gave Touya while asking for his number and when she left showed me this is not just a flirtatious one time encounter. That was shown at the end of the episode with her calling the first chance she got.

Yuki better watch out a girl like Rina whos confident not shy and very beautiful could steal a mans heart in instant. The childish and in my opinion not very emotional goodbye could be signs to Rina that their relationship might be that secure. She was even surprised that Yuki didn't take any chance to say a meaningful goodbye. Rina could think that Touya is fair game and if Yuki is strong enough to keep her man then she doesn't deserve him.

Im not sure what direction any of the characters are going in and its way too early to tell but im enjoying it so far. I think episode 5 we should start seeing the shipping and im pretty sure i know i will be rooting for.

One thing that i still find really intriguing and unexplainable is....

Spoiler for mystery:

Touya's apparent knowledge of all these beautiful girls surrounding him and being interested in him. He and his friend and even Yuki, it seems, have a pet name for it - his "goddesses". This is almost unheard of at the outset of a show with any form of harem (obviously show isn't harem but you get what I mean). I am thinking at this point that they have all played a significant roll in helping him get through some difficult time in the past, and the person who played the biggest roll, yuki, "won". Or I could be completely off base. At least it is refreshing to see a protagonist who isn't a complete idiot, and hopefully we will get an explanation behind all these femininas.